Joe Knollenberg named to Dirty Dozen by League of Conservation Voters

So much for Joe Knollenberg calling himself an environmentalist.

10/09/07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristin Lee, (202) 785-8683 or kristin_lee@lcv.org

LCV Names Senator Inhofe and Rep. Knollenberg to 2008 "Dirty Dozen"

WASHINGTON D.C. – The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the independent political voice for the environment, today announced that U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) are the first two members of its 2008 “Dirty Dozen” list. This is the earliest in a campaign cycle LCV has ever named members to the Dirty Dozen.

“America’s energy future was a decisive issue in the last election and poll after poll indicates that energy and global warming will be decisive issues in 2008,” LCV President Gene Karpinski said. “During the 2006 elections, while 94 percent of incumbents won re-election, we defeated 9 out of 13 members of LCV’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ list. In 2008, we plan to continue our success rate of defeating members of the Dirty Dozen. Senator Inhofe and Representative Knollenberg were named to the Dirty Dozen so early because they are two of the biggest opponents in Congress when it comes to making progress on global warming and clean energy.”

Dirty Dozen Member # 2: Representative Joe Knollenberg

The second person added to the Dirty Dozen today is Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). While Rep. Knollenberg calls himself an environmentalist saying that “protecting, preserving, and providing for the health of our environment is one of his top priorities,” his record paints a much different picture. Rep. Knollenberg has repeatedly voted for corporate polluters and against environmental protections, earning him a lifetime LCV score of only 7 percent. Rep. Knollenberg has strongly opposed all attempts to raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. In 1998 and 1999, Knollenberg attached a rider known as 'the Knollenberg amendment' to congressional budget appropriation bills to prevent government agencies from doing anything that would regulate global warming pollution, including forbidding the EPA from holding educational seminars about global warming. In August 2007, he voted against a provision that would increase the amount of renewable energy produced in the United States.

“Michigan families need to ask, ‘whose side is Representative Joe Knollenberg really on?’” LCV President Gene Karpinski said. “Rep. Knollenberg’s record clearly shows that he votes for policies that reward his corporate contributors rather than supporting clean energy solutions to our energy challenges that would help fight global warming. We want to help inform Rep. Knollenberg’s constituents about his terrible environmental voting record – he can’t hide from it any longer.”

Since 2001, Rep. Knollenberg has taken $642,388 from polluting energy interests. To view Rep. Knollenberg’s recent votes on clean energy and global warming, go to: http://lcv.org/OperationSpotlight/home.html#Knollenberg

LCV will name the rest of the 2008 Dirty Dozen members in the coming months: stay tuned. For more on LCV’s 2006 Dirty Dozen list, check out: http://www.lcv.org/campaigns/dirty-dozen

I guess Joe's voting record doesn't quite square with Joe's video.